Linotype-machine.



PATENTED DEC. 10, 19-07. G. T. LIBBY & G. G. BABCOOK.

LINOTYPE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 26. 1905.

3 SHEETSSHEEYT 1.

MM ,9 W

MFFJW WITNESSES:

No. i 373,251- I PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907. v G. T. LIBBY & G. G. BABGOCK.

LINOTYPB MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 26. 1905.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 2v WITNE55E5= I INVENTVEIRE MFWGJ.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. LIBBY AND GEORGE G. BABCOGK, OF PORTLAND, MAINE; SAID BABCOCK ASSIGNOR TO SAID LIBBY. I

LINOTYIPE-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed December 26, 1905. Serial No. 293.172.

in the county of Cumberland and State'of Maine, have invented new and useful Improvements in Linotype-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in linotype machines of the general character of the so-called Mergenthaler linotype machine described in United States Letters Patent Number 436,532, dated September 16, 1890. f

It relates to means for raising the assembling elevator repeatedly in consonance with the other parts of the machine, the machine running constantly instead of stopping at the end of eacl revolution.

It also re ates more particularly to means for raising the assembling elevator automatically u on the operator touching a key instead o manuall It also relates to-means for raising the elevator automatically either upon the operator touching a key or when the machine comes to its proper position provided a'key has been already touched.

It alsorelates to specific mechanism adapted to bring about the above results.

It also relates to certain details of construction hereinafter fully explained.

It is tributary to applicant, Charles T. Libbys pending application SerialNumber 197,782, allowed November 11, 1905.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and making a part of this application, Figure 1 is a perspective detail view of our improved mechanism and so much of said Mergenthaler linotype machine as is necessary to illustrate the construction and operation of our invention; Fig. 2 is an elevation of the piston-carrying p a lever and its attachments Fi 3 is a n View of the same; Fig. 4 is a detail elevation of a part of Fig. 1 taken from the opposite side; Fig. 5"is a detail plan view partly in section showing both the slotted and the make-and-break connection between the elevator raising rod and the elevator raising bell crank lever; Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view showing part of said bell crank lever and ad'ustable anti-friction roll; Fig. 7 is a detail elevation showing the elevator locking latch and mechanism for operating it, some parts bein removed; Fi 8 is a perspective view of t e cam-face ever; Fi 9 is a detail perspective viewof the counter balance spring hook; Fig. 10 is a detail edge view of a part of the elevator lever link and latch hold and Fig. 11 is a detailview of the speed key brake rod.

Same letters of reference refer to'like parts.

In the drawings herewith accompanying and above referred to we illustrate one form of our improvement which is especially Well adapted to accomplish the result aimed at. Referring to said drawings A represents -the base, B parts of the main frame, C the i may be substantially the same and operate in substantially the same manner as in said Mergenthaler machine, namely, when the assembling elevator loaded with matrices arrives up, the hookJ engages and almost simultaneously the, needle I pushes up the releasing p'in H and knocks off the latch G whereupon the line delivery. carriage goes to the left and starts a revolution of the main camdriving shaft, not shown. Hook J holds the elevator up until the line of matrices has passed out, whereupon it is knocked off by the releasing bar K and the elevator drops down. The reciprocation of the line delivery carriage is effected by a rocking of its shaft about fortyfive degrees and on its return it is again latched and held by latch G. Meanwhile the main cam driving shaft continues its movement and at the end .of a single revolution automatically stops, unless the assembling elevator has been again sent up; The main cam driving shaft only goes round once for each time the assembling elevator is put up. The assembling elevator cannot be put up until the, line delivery carriage has returned to its first position, otherwise the lino of milk riccs would be in the path of llw returning \lever S having a backwardly extending arm 2 and'a vertically extending arm 3. The main elevator spring 4 having one end attached to the base and the other through an intermediate adjusting link 5 to arm 2 tends constantly to. draw arm 2 downwardly, the downward 'movement of arm 2 being limited by an adusting screw 6 adjustably set in a lug 7 on racket 1 as seen in Fig. 4. The vertical arm 3 carries an anti-friction roll 8 and is operated by a cam face 85 on lever 9 set on the line delivery carriage shaft. The spring 4 and cam face lever 9 operate to move the bell crank lever in op o'site directions.

On the shaft 0 the assembling elevator lever is a bell crank lever l one arm 10 extending under the assembling elevator lever for the purpose of raising the elevator and the other arm 11 extending downwardly. A

connecting rod 12 extending backwardly in-' side the machine is pivotally secured, one end to arm 11 of lever T and the other end to arm 3 of lever S by means of a stud 13 working in an elongated slot 14 in said lever, the length of the slotbeing suilicient to permit theassembling elevator to pass through the full length of its movements without said stud binding at either end of the slot. Besides the slotted connection between rod 12 and arm 3 there is also a make and break connection consisting of a latch 15 pivotally mounted on said rod, its free end extending beyond the end of the rod and adapted to engage a latch hold 16 on'- arm 3. The free end of the latch extends beyond said latch hold in the path of said cam face lever, whereby said latch may be disengaged by said lever, said lever being ositioned on the line delivery carriageshafl; so that it will disengage said latch,at the moment when the line of matrices has passed out of the assembling elevator.

Secured to the front end of bracket 2 is a vertical bracket 17. on which is pivotally mounted a latch 18in such position as to engage a latch hold 19 on the assembling elevator lever link, when the assembling elevator is down. A spring 20 tends constantly to force latch 18 forward, the forward movement being limited, when not in engagement with its latch hold, by a stop pin 21 set in the bracket.- Latch 18 is disen aged automatically as follows. On the sur ace of one of the main cams on the main cam shaft of the machine, of which only-one (marked -P) is shown, is placed a small bevel faced projection '22. Mounted'in a bracket 23 secured to the frame is a reciprocating rod 24 having on one end an anti-friction roll 25 positioned in the path of projection 22 in such way that rod 24 re ceives an endwise thrust as projection 22 passes it as the cam rotates. On a bracket 26 secured to bracket 1 near its rear end is mounted a simple lever U, its upper arm 27 positioned in the path of rod 24. To the lower arm 28 is pivotally attached a long link 29-reaching through the machine, its other end being pivotally attached to the lower arm 30 of a piston lever'V pivotally secured to the bracket 1. The upper arm 31 of this lever is equipped with a piston 32 set in a chamber 33 within which behind said piston is a spiral spring 34. On bracket 17 below latch 18 is pivotally mounted a latch lever 39 so constructed and positioned that its lower the machine, the main cam revolving continuously without stopping, whereas in the standard'linotype machine this cam stops at .the end of each revolution unless another line of matrices is first sent up. In this mode of operation, a line of matrices having been sent up and the main cam shaft started on a revolution, when the beveled projection 22 comes in contact with the anti-friction roll it gives rod 24 an endwise thrust which in turn through intermediate mechanism forces arm 31 of the piston lever forward un- 'til the piston strikes latch lever 39 unlatching latch 18 whereupon the main elevator spring 4 pulling lever S and lever S pulling on rod 12 raises the elevator'which in turn releases the line delivery carriage. The movement of the line delivery carriage shaft, which is a rocking movement through an angle of about forty-five degrees, efi'ects two results. First, the end 84 of the cam face lever engages the end of latch 15 and forces it up unlatching it at the moment when the line of matrices has passed out of the assembling elevator. Whereupon the assembling elevator, hook J having slmultaneously been unhooked as in the existing machine, drops down'by gravity and relatches and the cam face 85"of lever 9 engages anti-friction roll 8 on lever S, forcing the latch-hold 16 forward under the latch 15 until they rengage, and

at the same time by turning the lever 3 on its pivot reenergizing or extending spring 4 which is'attached to one end of haul lever and at its other end to the framing.

\ At the end of the movement of the line (lelivery carriage shaft, another line of matrices havlng ust been sent up, the mam cam fl is continuedin motion as 111 said Morgentlialcr To adapt the machine to the second method of operation wherein the assembling elevator is raised automatically upon-the o erator touching a key,-a ke 40 is pivotal y lower end of latch lever.

. key 40 is held down yieldingly by a spring 42 4 of the latch inter osed between the keyand a lug 43 on brac et 'arm 41.

Secured to the backend of the piston is a projecting in 35 traveling in a slot 36 in arm 31, one end ofsaid pin extending beyond the slot under the bottomfedge of a latch 37' mounted on arm 31. Said latch besidesits latching face has an additional sloping face 38 against whichsaid pin strikes and raises and holds up the latch as the piston moves forward. A rearward arm 83 of bracket 1 carries a latchhold 82 for this latch.

When operating by the second method when the pistonlever is forced forward, as beforedescribed, the advance-of the piston and lower end;- of the latch lever being blocked by the end of the key, the piston -will'be forced back into its socket compressing the spring behind it; the piston pin at the same time passes out from under the portion 38 of the latch, the latch thereupon engaging its latch hold 82 on arm 83 of bracket 17 When the operator is ready to send u the elevator, he depresses tlikey, the bae end clearing the latch lever, whereupon .thepiston, spring-im elled, impinges the lower end ever with sufficient force to. cause the upper end to impinge the elevator latch and disengage it from its hold. At the same time the piston pin engaging the'beveled edge of the piston latch disengages it from its hold allowing the piston lever to drop back, again forcing anlti-friction roll 25 on the end of the thrust rod back into the path of the beveled projection on cam P. Meanwhile, when the elevator went up, the elevator latch under the action of its spring 20 moved forward until it engaged its stop pin 21 forcing the latch lever back so that the back end of the key again dropped into the path of the latch lever, so that the piston will be again compressed by the. ensuing revolution of dam P as aforesaid. I

To adapt the machine to the third method of operation wherein the elevator is raised automatically either upon the operator touching a key'as 40 or when the machine comes to its proper position provided key 40 has been already touched, the elevator latch hold, is so placed on the elevator lever link that, when the elevator latch is in engage"- ment with its hold the latch is out of engagement with its stop pin. In consequence of this construction when the elevator drops ver 39-before the line delivery carriage has returned to its proper position, the latch lever 39, impelled by its spring 58, rocks on its pivot and its lower end moves under the end of key 40, which has been raised, and revents said key from dropping into 100 'ng engagement with said lever. ,In this. situation, when thecam P arrives at a point where it operates to force the piston 32 against the lower end of the latch lever, finding'no. resistance from key 40, it unlatches latch 18 'sendin up the elevator Without anything further one by the operator. This permits the operator to touch key 40 at any time regardless of the progress of the parts of the machine during its cycle of'movement, the beveled. projection 22 on cam P being so placed that the elevator holding latch is disengaged at the earliest moment that the elevator can safely' go up and promptly return without care on the part of Y the operator and without loss of time.

-- The devices for changing the machine from one method of operation to another are as'follows. Pivotally mounted on bracket 41 above the front end of key'40 is a so called speed key 44, the top end thereof finished as a-button ada ted on the front side to be pressed back y hand and on the back side to receive the impingement of the spur of the spe'edkey brake described to return'it. A notch in the back edge spans a stop pin 56, the edges of the notch limiting the backward and forward movements of the speed key. The operative part is a projection 46 at the bottom end which touches nothing when the button is front but as-the button is pressed back en ages a cam surface 45 on the top edge of l ey 40, forcing it down and holding it out of action. The speed key brake 47 may be mounted on the same pivot 81 as key 40. 'On the top end is constructed a spur adapted to impinge the back side of the button of the speed key, and the bottom end carries the s eed key brake rod 49 to force the elevator atch lever back from under the back end-of key 40. On its front edge is constructed a button to be pressed down by hand and at the bottom end is a face with a socket for holding one end of a spiral spring 55,-the other end held in a socket in the'edge of bracket 41, to return it. With the speed key back and the back end of the key thereby held up, there is nothing to block the automatic sending up of the elevator every time the piston comes forward. This full speed method is desirable as long as the operator is able to compose his lines of matrices fast enough. The operator may shift to the star't-and-stop method when unable to keep up ,with the full speed of the machine by pressing down on the speed key brake but- Having now'described the main parts of our improvements we will proceed to dej scribe some rmnor details of construction.

A lug 51 besidesservingas a'stop to limit the downward, movement of key 40 serves also as a rest for the back end of the speed key brake rod 49. The speed key brake red as shown has a hooked end 52 inserted in a perpendicular slot 53 in the brake, the hooked end being, so shaped that when turned horizontally it cannot tumble out of the slot. The movement of the speed key brake is limited by the projecting pivot 87 of the speed key which projects into a slot 54 in the brake. The cam face on the top .edge of the key is so constructed that its highest point 45 is reached by the contact point 46 of the speed key before the speed key is pushed. clear backand said face is then made to recede slightly so that the back end of the key falls slightly before the speed key is way back. This construction serves to prevent the speed key'falling front from the jar of the machine.

The elevator latch is held yieldingly by spring 20 and the elevator latch lever is held yieldingly by spring 58, the latch spring being the stronger in order that when the elevator goes up it will be effective to force the latch forward against its stop pin thereby forcing the latch lever back against the resistance of the latch lever spring, the latter however having sufficient strength to force the latch lever front under the end of the key before the forward movement of the piston. It is manifest that the iston spring must be stronger than the latch spring as otherwise instead of unlatching' the latch the piston would be forced back upon its own spring. The elevator rod latch is held yieldin ly by a spring 59. The piston latch is held yieldingly bya spring 60. the elevator latch, when it is unlatehed by the contact of the end of the cam face lever, relatching before the elevator gets down, the cam has a slopin face 61 down which the end of the latch rags sustaining the end of the latch away from its latch hold until the last moment when this face terminates vertically as seen at 86 and permits the latch to drop into engagement with its latch hold. As a safety precaution in event the elevator should failto come down leaving latch 15in the path of the returning cam lever 9, the rear edge 62 is beveled so as to thrust the latch to one side instead of breaking it; and to permit this movement of the latch, the

In order to preventlatch at its rear end is beveled as seen at 63 and behind the beveled end a spiral spring convenience. it is attached at its back endto main spring 4 a turnbuckle 71 is interposed between itand the bell crank. To adjust the backward movement of the piston lever, an adjusting screw 72 set in a lug thereon is so positioned as to strike the key board frame, not shown. The anti friction roll on bell crank S is adjusted by being mounted on an eccentric pin 73 held in any given position by a set screw 74. The cam face lever is made adjustableendwise and sidcwise on the line deli ery carriage shaft by means of 'a clamp 75 and screws 76 passing through the clamp into the lever. The latch hold on the elevator lever link is made adjustable by means of screws 77 passing through elongated holes 78 shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10. The adjusting screw 6 limits the downward movement of bell crank S at the moment when it has been unlatched and the cam face lever has not yet engaged the antifriction roll. The piston lever has a constant'tendency to fall back, which may be imparted to i't'in any convenient way as by mounting it so that its center of gravity is outside of its pivot.

Having thus described our invention and its use, we claim:

1. In a linotypemachine, in combination, an assembling elevator, elevator raising mechanism comprising a source of power and intermediate connecting mechanism, a make andbreak connection in said intermediate mechanism, a cam lever rigidly mounted on the line delivery carriage shaft having one face adapted to breakthe connection at predetermined times, and a second face adapted to energize the elevator raising mechanism.

2. In a linotype machine, in combination, an assembling elevator, elevator raising mechanism comprising a source of power and intermediate connecting mechanism, a make 3. In a linotype" machine, an assembling elevator, eleva'tor raising mechanism"com-- prising a source of power and" mtermediate connectm mechanism, a make and break connection in said intermediate mechanism, a pivot latch adapted to hold the elevator down. and means operable b a moving part ofthe machine to release'sald elevator holding latch.

4. 'In a linotype machine, in combination,

. an; assembling elevator, elevator raisi mechanism comprising a source of power an intermediate mechanism, a make and break connection in said intermediate mechanism, a pivoted latch for holding the elevator down, a ivoted latch lever, one end in engagement with and adapted to disengage the latch and the other in the path of mechanism operable by some moving part of the machine too er-" ate th latch lever, to disengage the late 5. In a linotype machine, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevator,- means for holding the elevator down, means for "disengaging said holding means comprising a spring impelled piston mounted in a pivoted lever and means actuated by a moving part of the machine to operate sald piston lever to automatically release the latch.

6. In a linotype machine, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevator, means for holding the elevator down, a pivoted latch lever adapted to disengage said holding means, a piston operable auto matically by some moving part of the machine to operate said latch lever. and means for holding said latch lever, temporarily out of en agement with the. latch.

7. n a linotype'machinl e, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevator, means for holding the elevator down, a pivoted latch lever adapted-to disengage saidholding means, a piston operable auto' matically by some moving art of the machine to operate said latch ever, a ivoted key adapted to engage'and hold sald latch lever temporarily out of engagement with the latch until released by the operator and means for holding said y positively out of engagement with said latch lever.

8, In a linoty, e machine, in combination the assembling e evator, a bell crank and rod.

movably fastened together by a slotted connection, with a latch on one and latch pin on the other, and connecting operatin and controlling mechanism for automatica ly actuating said elevator.

. the last named latch.

' 1.3. In a linotype machine, the assembling l 9. In a linotype, machine, the vertically movable assembling elevator and mechanically actuated mechanism for operating same comprising a single lever adafpted to be attached to a moving part 0 the machine made with two faces, one adapted to knock a latch from its latch hold and theother adapted to force the latch hold back under the and devices for periodically detaining and releasing said elevator.

, 11. .In a linotype machine, the assembling elevator and automatic actuating mechanism therefor, in combination with a latch and automatic mechanism for operatin the latch consisting of an endwise thrust ro actuated by a moving part of the machine and connectingmechanism between said thrust rod and said latch.

12. In a linoty e machine, a latch with a sloping face, an a spring pushed iston ,carrying a pin which by engaging sai sloping face automatically unhooks said latch, in combination with the, assembling elevator and automatic actuating mechanism therefor, a latch for holding down said elevator and mechanism of which said first named latch, piston and pin are a part for operating elevator and automatic actuating mechanis'm therefor, in. combination with a twopiecelatch 'for holding said elevator down and a manually operated key, said latch adapted in one osition to be held by said key and-in anot e'r osition upon said key being 'pressed'to hol said key out of action, and connecting mechanism for operating said latch.

'. 14. In a linotype machine a key adapted to block the unhooking of a latch and made with a cam face containing a high place adapted to force said key out of its blocking position and prevent it from jarring back into its blocking osition, in combination with the assembling e evator and automatic actuating mechanism therefor, the latch to hold the elevator down, automatically actuated mechanism for operating the latch and mechanism for locking out'of and letting into action the key first mentioned.

15. In a linotype machine, in combination, an assembling elevator, means for actuating said elevator, a latch for holding said eleva tor down, a latch lever adapted to release said latch, means adapted" automatically and periodicallyto actuate the latch lever to said latch, means for blocking the action of 10 said latchlever and yielding reciprocating mechanism adapted to engage automatically and periodically said latch lever and to operate the latch when the latch lever is un blocked and inefie'ctive therefor by reason of its yielding when the latch lever is blocked 17. In a linotype machine, in combination, an assembling elevator, means for actuating said elevator, a latch for holding said elevator down, a latch lever adapted to 'release said latch, means for blocking the action of the latch lever and reciprocating mechanism having a piston yieldingly mounted therein adapted to engage automatically and periodical y said latch lever and to operate the latchwhen the latch is unblocked and ineffective therefor by reason of its yielding when the latch lever is blocked.

18. In a linotype machine, in combination, an assembling elevator, a latch-hold on said elevator, means for raising said elevator, a spring-pressed latch for holding said elevator down adapted to engage said hold, a stop pin in the pathvof said latch, a spring-pressed latch lever adapted to be operated to release said latch, the positions of the sto in and hold being. such that when the late is in en. gagement with its hold it is slightly out of contact with its stoppin and latch-lever,

means for blocking and unblocking said latch lever and means for actuating said latch lever.

19.1 In a linotype machine, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevator, a spring-pressed latch to periodically hold said elevator down, a lever actuated from a moving part of the machine to throw out said latch, a key lever with one end adapted to block the automatic releasing motion of said lever automatically and the other end to be pressed by the operator to withdraw it.

20. In a linotype machine, an assembling elevator, elevator actuating mechanism, a s ring-pressed latch for periodically holding own said elevator, automatically actuated mechanism for operating said latch, a simple lever for automatically and positively blocking the'last named mechanism adapted to be withdrawn by being pressed by the operator.

21. In a linotype machine, an assembling elevator, elevator actuating mechanism, a spring-pressed latch for periodically holding down saidelevator, automatically actuated mechanism for operating said latch, a simple lever for automatically and positively blocking the last named mechanism adaptedto be withdrawn by being pressed by the operator, a device for locking the simple lever out of action. f

22. In a linoty e machine,in combination, an assembling e evator, elevator actuating mechanism, a spring-pressed latch for periodically-holding down said elevator, auto matically actuated mechanism for operating said latch, a sim le lever -for automatically and positively locking the last named mechanism adapted to be withdrawn by being pressed by the operator, devices for locking the simple lever out of action and letting it into action.

23. In a linotype machine, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevatbr, a pivoted latch -for holding the elevator down, a pivoted latch lever, one end in engagement with and ada ted to disengage the latch and the other 1n the path of mechanism operable by a moving part of the machine to operate the latch lever to disengage the latch.

24. In a linotype machine, in combination with a mechanically actuated assembling elevator, a two-piece latch for holding said elevatorfdown, two opposite-acting devices for operating said two-piece latch, one actuated automatically from a moving part of the machine, the other manually, so constructed that the assembling elevator, when the manual device has been worked before the 'automatic device has acted, remains Waiting until the latter act s.

25. In a linotype machine, a key adapted to block the unhooking of a latch, in combination with the assembling elevator and automatic actuating mechanism therefor, the latch to hold the elevator down, automatically actuated mechansm for operating the latch and mechanism for looking out of and letting into action. the key first mentioned.

In testimony whereof, we have signed our names to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses, this nineteenth day of December, 1905.

CHARLES. T. LIBBY. GEORGE G. BABCOCK.

In presence of- ELofN C. VERRILL, PHILIP G. CLIFFORD. 

